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If you can't raise the garage or shrink the Oliver, lower the floor...


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Back in February I was searching  for advice of how I could reduce the Oliver overall outside height because my extra building garage door height was approximately (and only)  3 inches too small. Potential solution advice included raising the ceiling and/or door height, installing different but smaller AC, letting air out of the tires, taking the tires off and more. None of the ideas, while appreciated, just didn't appeal to me and/or would not work.

So...I am lowering the floor!

See the attached photos.

We install steel rod and pour concrete during the next couple weeks. Photos of (the successful?) the completed project to be shared in the future.

 

 "If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain."

Garage floor 1.jpg

Garage floor 2.jpg

Garage floor 3.jpg

Garage floor 4.jpg

Garage floor 5.jpg

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2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II, Hull 1242, 9/26/22

Lithium Platinum Power/Solar Package

Tow with Supercrew Cab 2019 F-150 4 x4, 5.0L 4-Valve V8 with 3.73 axle ratio & 157" wheelbase.

F-150 GCWR of 16,900 lbs with maximum load trailer of 11,500 lbs.

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Cool! I assume you are going to add some in-ground drainage? How many inches lower will the new slab be?

John Davies

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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John the project is now ovet excavated to allow for the placement of gravel before pouring the floor. There will an additional floor drain installed in the center of this bay in the new low point.

The new door will be a full 10 feet. The floor will slope in to a maximum new additional depth 1 foot down where the Oliver wheels are. This allows good clearance under the garage door opener.

2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II, Hull 1242, 9/26/22

Lithium Platinum Power/Solar Package

Tow with Supercrew Cab 2019 F-150 4 x4, 5.0L 4-Valve V8 with 3.73 axle ratio & 157" wheelbase.

F-150 GCWR of 16,900 lbs with maximum load trailer of 11,500 lbs.

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How do you plan to deal with outside storm water? Will it have a natural surface escape route on the driveway? Do you have a plan to keep the slab catch basin and it’s drain pipe clear from dirt and organic debris? I have dealt with drains that are prone to blocking and it is best to design them to be very easy to maintain. Have you considered a trench drain? Otherwise you might hate it. Especially if you can’t access it without hitching up the Ollie and moving it out of the way.

NDS 864GMTL 5-Inch Pro Channel Drain Kit with Metal Grate, 5 in, Gray

Make sure the pipes have at least a 1/8” per foot slope or they won’t flow well.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Too much of a pre & post trip hassle. Soon, just back it in and done!

2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II, Hull 1242, 9/26/22

Lithium Platinum Power/Solar Package

Tow with Supercrew Cab 2019 F-150 4 x4, 5.0L 4-Valve V8 with 3.73 axle ratio & 157" wheelbase.

F-150 GCWR of 16,900 lbs with maximum load trailer of 11,500 lbs.

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Several people have discussed increasing garage door height in the past, but I think you're the first to do so.

I'll be interested in seeing your photos along the way. Is the contractor who built your garage doing the modifications? How are you underpinning that existing foundation under the load bearing wall? What will hold back the exposed soil? Has the crew shored up that "ledge" in case of rain?

Quite a labor of (Ollie) love, there. Best of luck. 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Wow! That is impressive! Excited to see the finished results! 
Kirk

Kirk and Carrie Peterson

Twin Falls, Idaho

2018 Ram 3500, with overland conversion: Rooftop tent, water, stove, Battle Born batteries, lockers, onboard air, raised air intake, Warn winch. 

2023 Elite 2, twin beds, delivered December 5, 2022 Truma package, lithium platinum package.
Hull #1305

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7 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Several people have discussed increasing garage door height in the past, but I think you're the first to do so.

I'll be interested in seeing your photos along the way. Is the contractor who built your garage doing the modifications? How are you underpinning that existing foundation under the load bearing wall? What will hold back the exposed soil? Has the crew shored up that "ledge" in case of rain?

Quite a labor of (Ollie) love, there. Best of luck. 

SeaDawg. No the original contractor is not involved with this project. A couple of us are the main crew doing the work and we are bringing in contractors as we need equipment and/or a couple younger/strong backs. 

Standard concrete project design and construction. The finish project will have vertical concrete walls pinned into the existing slab & the building footings. The vertical walls will also have angle rebar connecting to the floor slab rebar. No remaining exposed soil.

Fun project and not "Ollie love";  simply when you live in Wisconsin you don't spend $70K+ on a new toy and have it sleep outside in the winter.

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2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II, Hull 1242, 9/26/22

Lithium Platinum Power/Solar Package

Tow with Supercrew Cab 2019 F-150 4 x4, 5.0L 4-Valve V8 with 3.73 axle ratio & 157" wheelbase.

F-150 GCWR of 16,900 lbs with maximum load trailer of 11,500 lbs.

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My Ollie sleeps outside in the winter. The solar panels keep my AGM  batteries charged up all winter. Even when there is a couple of inches of snow on the solar panels, the panels still generator electricity. If the snow is 6" or more in depth, I take a push broom and push the snow off them. 

Not sure what I will do if I decide to change to Lithium batteries!

If I do, I will likely have to remove the batteries in the winter and put them in a heated space and monitor their charge level.

2018 Oliver Elite II, Twin Bed, Hull #354 

2024 RAM 1500, 4 x 4; Gas. 5.7L V8 Hemi MDS VVT Torque; 3.21 rear axle ratio

Maine 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

New concrete floor slab 12 inches lower.

Vertical walls poured.

New outside entrance concrete ramps poured & shaped.

A 10 ft entrance door installed.

All we need now is an Oliver Trailer.

9:00 a.m. Hohenwald, Tennessee Monday September 26th...

 

 

Garage conc pour 1.jpg

Garage conc pour 2.jpg

Garage wall forms.jpg

Finish Garage Floor.jpg

Finish Garage door done.jpg

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2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II, Hull 1242, 9/26/22

Lithium Platinum Power/Solar Package

Tow with Supercrew Cab 2019 F-150 4 x4, 5.0L 4-Valve V8 with 3.73 axle ratio & 157" wheelbase.

F-150 GCWR of 16,900 lbs with maximum load trailer of 11,500 lbs.

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That came out great! Nice job!

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Kirk and Carrie Peterson

Twin Falls, Idaho

2018 Ram 3500, with overland conversion: Rooftop tent, water, stove, Battle Born batteries, lockers, onboard air, raised air intake, Warn winch. 

2023 Elite 2, twin beds, delivered December 5, 2022 Truma package, lithium platinum package.
Hull #1305

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5 hours ago, Gliddenwoods said:

New concrete floor slab 12 inches lower.

Vertical walls poured.

New outside entrance concrete ramps poured & shaped.

A 10 ft entrance door installed.

All we need now is an Oliver Trailer.

I guess I see that Ollie in your future, happy and snug in its winter home. 

  • Like 1

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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